US HB4398

VA physicians or nurse practitioners serving as a veteran's primary care provider must certify the veteran's death within 48 hours of learning of a natural-cause death

Local coroners or medical examiners may certify the death if the VA provider cannot comply with the 48-hour requirement

Congress cites delays of up to eight weeks in VA physician death certificate signings, which prevent timely burials and access to survivor benefits

Secretary of Veterans Affairs must submit annual reports to Congress on compliance rates, number of non-compliance cases, and most common reasons for delays

Introduced July 15, 2025, with bipartisan support from over 50 House cosponsors and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs